of SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. 345 on the contrary, such persons design to debate spiritual things, to bring downheavenly things intoa conformity with their affections, which, however changed, are not spiritual, but carnal. To evince this, we mayobserver. (1.) These affections are under the light and conduct of such notions in the mind and understanding, as da not give a clear distinct representationof them in their own nature to them. `For where they are not them- selves spiritually renewed, there the mind itself is carnal and unrenewed. And such a mind discerneth not the things of God, nor can do so, because they are spiritually discerned. They cannot be discerned aright in their own beauty and glory, but in and by a spiritual saving light, which the mind is devoid of. And where they are not thus represented, the affections cannot receive, or cleave to them as they ought, nor will ever be conformed to them. (2.) Those notions in such persons are ofttimes variously influenced and corrupted by fancy and imag- ination. They are inerely puffed up in their fleshly minds ; that is, they are filled with vain, foolish, proud imaginations, about spiritual things, as the apostle declares, Col. ii. 18, 19. And the work of fancy in a fleshly mind, is to raise up such images of spiritual things as may render them suitable to natural unre- newed affections. (3.) This in the progress of it produceth superstition, false worship, and idolatry. For they are all of them an attempt to represent spiritual things in a way suited to carnal unrenewed affections ; hence men suppose themselves to be excited by them to love, joy, fear, delight, in the things themselves, when they all respect that false representation of them, whereby they are suited to them as carnal. These have been the spring
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